Addressing chemical risks in beekeeping products: development of a combined ultrasound-assisted extraction and QuEChERS-based method for the simultaneous determination of mycotoxins and pesticides in bee pollen and honey

This work presents an ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) combined with a QuEChERS approach, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, for the determination of 20 mycotoxins and 10 pesticides in bee pollen and honey samples. The method was validated according to SANTE/11312/2021 guideline. Linearity was satisfactory (r > 0.99), with LODs ranging from 0.03 to 13.3 μg kg -1 and LOQs from 0.11 to 44.4 μg kg -1 , except for five analytes in pollen. Trueness, expressed as apparent recoveries and evaluated at three concentration levels, was between 70-120%, except for three compounds in honey and eight in pollen. RSDs for precisions were below 20%. The method was applied to 28 honey and six pollen samples. Acetamiprid and azoxystrobin were detected in 29% and 32% of the honey samples, with concentration ranges of 1.26-16.2 μg kg -1 and 1.31-1.56 μg kg -1 , respectively. No contaminants were found in any of the pollen samples. • An UAE-QuEChERS method was optimized for mycotoxins and pesticides determination • LC-MS/MS was applied to determine 20 mycotoxins and 10 pesticides in beekeeping products • Weighted Least Squares regression was applied to procedural calibration curves • Acetamiprid and azoxystrobin were found in 29% and 32% of honey samples, respectively • No pesticide residues or mycotoxins were detected in any bee pollen samples